SPEED’s Greg White Rides In F-16

SPEED’s Greg White Rides In F-16

© 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

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From a press release issued by SPEED Channel:

2 wheel tuesday host experiences “ride of his life”

Speed channel’s greg white takes flight in f-16 fighter jet

Greg White, host of SPEED Channel’s 2 Wheel Tuesday, experienced the ride of his life last week as he took flight with the 178th Fighter Wing at the Air National Guard Base in Springfield, Ohio. White was in the air for nearly two hours, taking part in six air-to-air combat training simulations.

“The coolest thing about going up in the F-16 was the fact that it was not your typical civilian ride,” White said. “We actually went up and got to dog fight with two other F-16s. We flew to the 178th Fighter Wing practice area and got to experience a total of six head-on engagements — and we were the target! The only problem was, when we started a 6-G turn, there was no warning!”

White’s experience will be shown in a multi-part feature beginning Aug. 3 at 8 pm ET on SPEED Channel’s 2 Wheel Tuesday.

“…there is a certain thrill when you go out and carve things,” said Maj. Zane Brown, an instructor pilot who goes by the call sign ‘Insane.’ “So, when you’re not doing 500 knots at 100 feet, it’s nice to do 100 knots at five feet — that way, it is some of the same thrill.”

First deployed in 1979, the F-16 reaches a speed of Mach 2, equivalent to twice the speed of sound. With a flight range of more than 2,000 nautical miles, the jet costs more than $26 million.

“The ride was one of the coolest things I have ever done in my life,” White said. “Maj. Bernie Willis, an F-16 Flight Instructor for the Ohio Air National Guard, contacted me about a year ago. When we got close to Mid-Ohio for the AMA Superbike Series we started to talk about doing this ride. It was great to see how things panned out and the fact that we (2 Wheel Tuesday) got to experience what it’s like to take a ride in one of the fastest and most agile aircraft in the world — it was unforgettable. The fact that it is all on tape and will air this week is even better.

“Since the ride, I’ve found out just how many people want to go up in a fighter jet,” White added. “I have had a ton of people tell me how jealous they are. I graduated college from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and I can tell you, the jealously stretches from the motorcycle racing world to all my college buddies who went on to become commercial pilots.”

The experience also gave White a new appreciation for the Air National Guard and a connection between the world of motorcycle racing and the world of the fighter pilot.

“In addition to the actual flight in the F-16, we got to sit down with one student pilot, three flight instructors and one ex-fighter pilot to discuss the mentality of a fighter pilot vs. a motorcycle enthusiast,” White said. “It is truly amazing how similar a fighter pilot and a professional motorcycle racer think. That is one feature on 2 Wheel Tuesday that will be both entertaining and open up some eyes into the psyche of fighter pilots. This week we are going to have a great show!”

In 2004, SPEED Channel is the exclusive U.S. cable home for many of the top motor sports series in the world. In addition, SPEED’s weekly programming schedule brings car enthusiast television to Prime Time Monday through Thursday. Now available in more than 67 million homes in North America, SPEED Channel is among the fastest growing sports cable networks in the country and the home to NASCAR TV.

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